The Verkhovna Rada has adopted at first reading draft law (No. 6403) amending the law on the regulation of town planning activities, which simplifies the spatial planning of territories by introducing a plan for a united territorial community (UTC) instead of several documents.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that 257 lawmakers had supported the respective decision.

"This bill changes the approach in developing town planning documents. It introduces a new type of documentation for spatial planning - a plan for a united territorial community," Deputy Regional Development Minister Lev Partskhaladze wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the document, the territory of the united territorial community will become an object of town planning at the local level.

According to Partskhaladze, the development of a UTC plan instead of two documents – a community territory planning scheme and a master plan for populated localities - will greatly simplify the process of town planning and reduce the financial burden on the UTC budget.

According to the explanatory note to the bill, it will also expand the powers of local government agencies on regulating construction work and will shorten the time for the development and approval of documentation. In addition, the bill foresees the creation of a state register of documentation for spatial planning at the regional and local levels, which will facilitate access to documentation for investors and the public.